Wednesday, March 19, 2014

PFMC Set to Take Final Action on Salmon Regulations, Bycatch Issues

The Pacific Fishery Management Council plans final action in April on ocean salmon fisheries regulations, incidental catch recommendations for Pacific halibut in salmon troll fisheries and restructuring stock complexes for groundfish stocks.

Several other key items are also on the agenda for the meeting at the Hilton Vancouver Washington from April 3rd to 10th.

The council will consider action on further development of the groundfish fishery electronic monitoring program, including preliminary approval of experimental fishing permits, as well as in-season adjustments to the current groundfish fishery.

Also up for consideration are adoption of preliminary preferred alternatives for management measures for groundfish fisheries in 2015-2016 and beyond, approval of an experimental fishing permit in the 2014 coastal pelagic species fishery, and adoption of management measures for the 2014-15 sardine fishery.

The West Coast Trawlers’ Network has posted the meeting agenda online at: http://www.westcoasttrawlers.net/sites/westcoasttrawlers.net/files/Prelim_Quick_Ref_Agenda2.pdf

A schedule of advisory group meetings is provided on the bottom of the graph. PFMC has jurisdiction over the 317,690 square mile exclusive economic zone off Washington, Oregon and California, managing fisheries for some 119 species of salmon, groundfish, coastal pelagic species, including sardines, anchovies and mackerel; and highly migratory species, including tuna, shark and swordfish. Check on the council’s website, www.pcouncil.org, for a detailed draft of the agenda at least two weeks prior to the meeting.